I'll believe it when I see it. Despite there being plenty of options in my area, the parking lots of Loblaw's stores are still overflowing with cars. I was driving around the city yesterday taking care of some errands and I drove past several stores and they were absolutely packed. One even had a lineup of cars to enter the parking lot that was overflowing out onto the road.
Not really. The herd mentality means some people will see a crowd and follow. But since they don't know what's going on, they'll just become an extra customer.
I've gone into a grocery store and left after filling up my cart because the line was comically long. Who would ever voluntarily go to a busier grocery store? I wish there were still 24hr grocery options so I could go in the middle of the night when it's quiet.
This might be cultural. But at least in Asia, if there's an unusual sized crowd somewhere, some people will join in just to see what's going on. Sales, festival, public show, etc.